Staff reports
A Beaufort man was arrested Monday, April 13, 2026, in connection with the September 2025 murder of a man near the Little Caesar’s Pizza in Cross Creek Plaza.
Gerald Washington Jr., 24, was taken into custody for the September 2025 homicide of 28-year-old Christopher Jamal Burton. Washington faces charges of Murder; Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime; Aggravated Breach of Peace; Criminal Conspiracy; and Discharging a Firearm within City Limits.
According to the Beaufort Police Department, at approximately 8:53 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, officers were dispatched to 330 Robert Smalls Parkway in reference to a shots fired incident.
Upon arrival, officers located a victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid until EMS arrived, and the victim was transported to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The victim was later identified by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office as Christopher Jamal Burton.
Washington remains confined in the Beaufort County Detention Center.